2016 Godolphin Mile & Kahayla Classic Results

Date: 03/26/2016

The $1 million Godolphin Mile (G2) on Dubai World Cup night featured a field of 9 older horses (after Le Bernardin scratched) go 1600 meters (about 1 mile) around one turn of the main track at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Marking was sent off as the 9-10 favorite off his win in the Al Naboodah National Plant Trophy over 9-2 second choice Sloane Avenue, last year's runner-up and 2nd in an allowance at Kempton last out, and 11-2 third choice One Man Band, winner of the Al Naboodah National Contract Handicap.

Jockey Sam Hitchcott sent One Man Band to the lead exiting the chute and he set fractions of 25.04, 47.37, and 1:10.83 while pressed by 6-1 fourth choice Cool Cowboy and stalked by Marking. Entering the lane, One Man Band began to open up on the field, getting 7/8 in 1:22.67. Kept to task by Hitchcott, One Man Band drew off to a 4 3/4 length win over late-running 14-1 Faulkner in 1:35.21 over the fast main track. It was just a nose back to Cool Cowboy third.

Results Chart for the race from Emirates Racing Authority which includes a link to the video replay. Results for US wagering:

Left: One Man Band in the winner's enclosure. Winning jockey Sam Hitchcott said, "He jumped and travelled so good. He kicked off the turn and went well. His most awkward part in a race is usually jumping from the stalls but he was brilliant today. It's great for Doug and the team."

Right: One Man Band heads back to the barn in his new winner's blanket. Winning trainer Doug Watson, celebrating his first World Cup card win, said, "It's an amazing feeling, I don't think it will set in for a while. The Maktoum family has given me an opportunity to train and I'm grateful for that. We've got a great group of owners who have given us some nice horses and we are very fortunate."

Left: Second place finisher Faulkner heads back to the barn after the race. Jockey Dane O'Neill said, "It was a messy race and I lost my position early. Halfway around the turn I had to sit and wait. I was second in the end and we stayed on well but we wouldn't have beaten the winner."

Right: Third place finisher Cool Cowboy in the walking ring before the race. Jockey Pat Dobbs said, "I had a good position in second but he was never travelling as well as I hoped - then we got done on the line into third."

Fourth place finisher and beaten favorite Marking heads out to the track before the race. Jockey James Doyle said, "He's a horse with an engine but he's seemed to me immature. He missed the break. He was a step slow again, but that wasn't really the concern. We were right behind One Man Band. Once we started to turn he started to get a few scoops of kickback and he just didn't face it and I felt I was beaten two strides."

The first race on Dubai World Cup night is the $1 million Dubai Kahayla Classic (G1), a 2000 meter (about 1 1/4 mile) trip over the main track for Purebred Arabian horses. Thakif set fractions of 27.17, 52.68, 1:18.94, and 1:46.30 while pressed by Af Tawaq and TM Thunder Struck. Thakif continued to lead to the 1/8 pole but AF Mathmoon, 5th early, and TM Thunder Struck ran by him in the final 1/16. AF Mathmoon outfinished TM Thunder Struck by a head in 2:15.45. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to pacesetter Thakif third.

Winning jockey Dane O'Neill said, "We got a nice break and Sheikh Hamdan said not to rush him. I landed a nice position, just behind the leaders without really having to do much and the race then panned out beautifully for me. When I turned in, I definitely thought I could be second and to be fair to my horse, when he saw the other horse duck, he really wanted it and then made the trip not a problem. It's fantastic, especially with the boss here."